MARK WARBURTON made a dash across the border yesterday in a bid to talk Joleon Lescott into snubbing Sunderland for Rangers.

Record Sport revealed online that the Ibrox boss had flown out of Glasgow airport to hold face-to-face talks with the 34-year-old former England defender, with both men meeting in Manchester late yesterday afternoon.

And now we understand a rival offer from big paying Premiership outfit Sunderland is the reason Warburton was so desperate to conduct the talks in person.

A source said: “Warburton is well aware of the interest from Sunderland which is why he was so keen to travel south to have a proper conversation with Joleon, man to man.

Joleon Lescott and Joe Garner

“It’s obviously difficult for a club with Rangers’ resources to be competing for players against English Premier League clubs but sometimes the little things make a big difference. Clearly, Warburton wants to show Lescott how highly he is valued and how important he would be to the Rangers side.”

Warburton is attempting to convince the 34-year-old to kick-start his career in Glasgow after being relegated from the Premier League with Aston Villa last season amid a storm of controversy.

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Yesterdays talks came as Preston’s Joe Garner was travelling in the opposite direction after manager Simon Grayson backed down from his initial decision to force the striker to lead his side’s attack in a Championship clash with Derby last night. Instead, Garner was given the green light to head up the M74 to undergo a medical and complete a £1.8m move.

Joleon Lescott in action for Manchester City

But Warburton wasn’t there to welcome him to the club’s training complex after hopping on a short flight south to open talks with former £22m Manchester City stopper Lescott.

The veteran has been told he can leave Villa on a free transfer after a stormy end to last season’s disastrous top flight campaign.

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Lescott infuriated Villa’s long suffering support by tweeting a photo of his luxury supercar just moments after playing in a 6-0 defeat against Liverpool . He was then ridiculed for insisting the pic was posted by accident from the mobile phone in his trouser pocket. He later compounded this and sealed his own fate at Villa Park by describing the club’s relegation as a ‘weight off the shoulders’.

As well as a possible move to Sunderland Lescott is thought to have a number of possible alternative destinations across England’s second tier. But Warburton hopes to persuade the defender to rebuild his reputation in Scotland.

Former Arsenal centre half Phillippe Senderos - who began a week long trial at Auchenhowie yesterday - is believed to be one of Warburton’s possible back-up plans should he fail to succeed in talking Lescott into moving north.

Meanwhile, Turks Trabzonspor are this week expected to bid for Ibrox stars James Tavernier and Andy Halliday. However, sources close to the pair say neither is interested in leaving Glasgow this summer.